The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

      

WASHINGTON, Thursday—This week is almost breathless form the point of view of the social whirl. We had luncheon for a large group of ladies yesterday. They came form the diplomatic group and our own official group.

I was happy to have at this luncheon, Miss Helen Stansbury, who is doing influential work for one of the air lines. She is talking to women all over the country, explaining to them what travel by air means in time-saving and comfort.

I think it is well to realize that as the years go on, we are being given a constantly increasing variety of ways in which we may do things, so we have a choice and may fit whatever we do to our personal needs and the circumstances of the moment. There are often times when I would rather travel by train, there are many times when nothing gives more pleasure than to step into a car and drive off. There are other times when I can think of no way in which to go where I want except by air.

There are many times when I would rather sit at home and listen to the radio. There are times when I want to be in the great hall and actually see the orchestra playing, or hear the speech being made. It is all a question of meeting our needs and desires in new ways.

Yesterday afternoon, a very distinguished group of ladies gave their time to come to the White House and join with me at a meeting for the benefit of the Fight Infantile Paralysis Drive which is to be started on the 17th. I hope the largest sum of money will come from people who, year after year, pay their dollar and feel they are contributing to the allevation of suffering brought on by this scourge.

After this group left me, the National Council of the National Federation of Women's Clubs spent from 5:00 to 6:00 o'clock at tea with me and we had an opportunity to talk on various subjects. I always feel a great satisfaction in welcoming these women who come from different parts of the country and who represent influential groups of thinking women in their own communities.

We were alone for dinner and it was short, for I had to be at George Washington University at 8:15 to speak at a forum which the freshman class has inaugurated. I was particularly interested in the questions which followed my speech. They brought me to the conclusion that all of us should devote ourselves to formulating our ideas in the most concise form possible. The young people had many ideas but often had difficulty in expressing them concisely enough so that the chairman could repeat them for my benefit and the audience's.

I had a ride this morning, the first in nearly a week, and it was a joy to be out. A few of the Cabinet ladies lunched with me and in a short time my afternoon appointments will begin.

E.R.

(Copyright, 1938, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, January 14, 1938

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project

Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

Published with permission from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

TEI-P5 edition published on April 28, 2017.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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